Chapter 130 – Kidnapped by My Mate Series II: His Lost Queen

Filed To Story: Kidnapped by My Mate Novel (Belle & Grayson) Online Free by Annie Whipple

Liam and I had been playing games and watching movies for several hours. He was trying to keep my mind occupied, although he was not succeeding in the slightest.

He had just won his fourth game in a row of Go Fish in record time.

I’m not sure how we ended up playing Go Fish, as it is a game for preschoolers; Liam must’ve suggested it because he knew my mind was otherwise occupied with thoughts I should not be having.

Unsurprisingly, I was struggling to concentrate; I focused most of my attention on trying to tune into Grayson’s emotions through the mate bond.

His most prevalent emotion was anger, followed by eagerness and a tad bit of blood lust.

His fear was minimal, if entirely nonexistent—thank goodness—fueled by his worry for me and need to avenge me. I might think it was sweet if it weren’t so terrifying.

Every once in a while, I could feel Grayson searching through my emotions the same way I kept searching through his, checking in on me and ensuring I was safe.

I think Grayson knew it brought me comfort when he did that, so he did it often. I felt his warm presence in my mind every five to ten minutes.

“Any updates?” I asked Liam.

Liam was getting regular updates on his phone through a royal news and emergency outlet.

My phone seemed to magically disappear around the same time Grayson left—a strange coincidence that prevented me from doom-scrolling through the news like I wanted to.

I wouldn’t be nearly as annoyed about Grayson hiding my phone if I didn’t know that Liam was picking and choosing what information to give me so as not to freak me out.

Liam sighed and pulled out his phone. I anxiously watched as his thumb scrolled over the screen.

“They’re still just patrolling the borders,” he told me. “Nothing has changed. I would tell you if there was something to worry about.”

As if that would stop me from worrying.

I shifted in my spot on the living room floor, trying not to look as nervous as I felt.

“This is ridiculous,” I complained. “I may be a human and not some fancy werewolf or vampire, but I know how to take care of myself. I won’t do anything stupid if you let me out.”

“Letting you out would be the stupid thing,” Liam responded while he picked up my cards so he could shuffle and deal us both another hand.

“I thought you were supposed to be on my side. You were my friend before you were ever my ‘guardian’ or whatever.”

Liam scoffed, not bothering to look up at me. “So that’s where we’re at now? All I’m trying to do is keep you safe, and you’re trying to guilt-trip me?”

“It was worth a try,” I grumbled, hugging my knees closer to my chest.

I looked over at the door once more, unable to prevent the worried sigh from escaping my mouth.

The only reason I wasn’t fighting this harder was that I knew Grayson would be safer if he knew for certain that I was safe. He would never be able to concentrate if I were out on my own.

It would just put us both in more danger.

So I would stay. As long as I could feel that Grayson was safe through our mate bond, I would stay in the apartment, even if it did make me feel like some helpless child.

Liam finished shuffling and began to deal the cards for yet another round of Go Fish. We both were sitting around the living room coffee table, me on the floor and Liam on the couch.

“No more Go Fish. Please,” I said, pushing the cards away from me.

Liam sighed and paused his movements.

“You want to play something else? I hate to admit it, but Go Fish is the only game I know how to play. Card games and board games aren’t really super popular within vampire culture.”

My lips turned up slightly for the first time since Grayson had left. “Now that’s just sad. What kind of childhood is that?”

Liam smiled. “Not a good one. But let’s not talk about that. It’s depressing as fuck. I would actually love to hear about how you’re doing.

“Last I saw you, back in Minnie’s apartment, you were pretty upset. Something happened between you and your mate.” He hesitated, his gaze set on the cards in his hands.

Then he looked up at me. “But everything is…fixed between you two now?”

“Besides the fact that Grayson insists on keeping me locked up in my apartment?” I asked. “Yeah, everything is fixed. More than fixed.”

He nodded. “That’s good. That’s…” He trailed off momentarily before blurting, “I’m sorry, I have to ask—aren’t you supposed to be a fairy now?”

“What?” I was so taken aback by his question that it was the only thing I could think of saying.

Then it occurred to me—Liam knew that Grayson and I had finally completed the mating process. Of course he did.

I had completely forgotten what Grayson had told me about what would happen with his pack after I mated with him.

Everyone connected to Grayson would be able to feel it when he finally fully connected to me, just like how they felt the moment he’d met me.

Despite my attempt to stop it, I felt a flush darken my cheekbones. And not just because Liam knew that Grayson and I’d had sex.

I mean, that wasn’t great either, but what I was really embarrassed about was the fact that virtually every supernatural creature in the world knew that I had lost my virginity to their king yesterday.

“Oh, God, no, no, no, no…” My face dropped into my hands. I couldn’t even look at Liam. It suddenly didn’t seem so bad that I was being held captive in my apartment.

How was I ever going to go out in public ever again?

“Okay, there’s no need for that,” Liam said, standing and coming to crouch down next to me on the floor. “Seriously, you’re going to make your mate worry if you start freaking out. And he has shit to do.”

He put a hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me, although it did nothing to help with the humiliation eating away at my stomach.

“No one gives a fuck that you had sex, Belle. In fact, most people were just ecstatic that you were finally officially their queen.”

He let his head hang when I still wouldn’t answer. “Fuck, and you were just starting to relax too. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Uh, yeah, ya think?” I snapped back, finally looking up at him. I took several deep breaths. He was right; breaking down right now was not going to do anyone any favors.

I needed to stay calm—if only for Grayson’s sake.

Brushing my hair out of my face, I said, “It’s okay. Everything is fine. I’m fine. It’s all fine. This might be the single most humiliating moment of my life, but I’m okay, right?

“No one cares that Grayson and I mated because I live in this crazy supernatural world where all of this is normal, right?

“Everybody just knows when everybody else has sex, and the only reason I think it’s weird is that I’m a human and not some crazy werewolf, right? Right?”

Liam didn’t respond, probably thinking I had lost my damn mind.

“Oh, my god, tell me I’m right!” I exploded.

“Right!” Liam immediately responded, frantically nodding his head in agreement.

“Yes, that’s totally right. No one cares. Not one bit. Everyone knows when everyone else has sex and all that…”

The mix of embarrassment and annoyance I was feeling caused my entire body to deflate. I squeezed my eyes shut.

“You are terrible at comforting women. I don’t know how you’re ever going to make it with Minnie.”

He gripped his chest, feigning pain. “Ouch. That hurts.”

“You’ll get over it,” I mumbled.

“Okay, but setting the whole sex thing aside, I only ask because I read the prophecy.

I know what was supposed to happen after you mated. But you’re still…you.”

“Yeah,” I breathed out. “Still me. Absolutely no difference as far as I can tell.”

“But what about shifting into a Fae?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m just as confused as you are. It seems like I’ll be remaining human for a while longer.”

“That’s good, right? It means you and Grayson were worried about nothing—”

A ding came from Liam’s phone, cutting him short. He pulled out his phone and laughed when he saw who it was.

“What?” I asked. “Who is it?”

He shook his head and held the phone so I could see the text lighting up the screen.

“Your mate,” he explained.

Grayson Stoll

Tell Belle to stop worrying so much. I’m fine. I’m in the woods with other pack members, taking shifts patrolling the borders.

Everything is okay. She can go to sleep. I’m sure she’s exhausted. Tell her I’ll be back soon.

I leaned back after reading the message, my heart feeling significantly lighter.

“Well, that’s good—”

All of a sudden, I felt a significant shift in Grayson’s emotions. My heart plummeted to the bottom of my feet. I wasn’t sure how I knew, but I knew something had happened—something bad.

He was in trouble.

“Belle? What’s wrong?” Liam asked.

“Something happened to Grayson,” I explained frantically. “Something is wrong.”

“But we just got a text from him. He said he was fine.”

I barely processed what Liam said to me, too busy fishing through my mate’s emotions. They seemed to be quickly escalating with each passing minute. “Things changed.”

Something was making Grayson panic. He was afraid, and that fact alone made my world feel like it was grinding to a halt.

“Do you know what happened? Can you tell?” Liam continued with the questions.

I shook my head. “I-I don’t… I can’t…” I prodded into Grayson’s mind but couldn’t seem to get any other information but could feel nothing other than his fear.

Without any warning, my connection to Grayson was cut off. My mind was suddenly still. My breath was swiped clean out of my lungs the same moment my stomach lined itself with lead.

I could no longer feel Grayson’s emotions. He didn’t want me to feel his fear, so he blocked me from feeling anything at all. Which was decidedly much, much worse.

It meant that whatever happened must have been bad enough to hide from me.

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